Makes › Buick › GS and GSX › Riviera Gran Sport (1965) · Rare specification · 1965 Rare
Buick
Riviera Gran Sport (1965)
First Riviera Gran Sport: dual-quad 425 Super Wildcat, Positraction
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 3,354 Built
- Years
- 1965
- Engine
- V8, OHV · 6,960 cc / 7.0 LFactory: 425 cu in · converted
- Power
- 268 kW / 365 PSFactory: 360 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 1965 Riviera Gran Sport was the performance version of the Bill Mitchell-styled Riviera. It added the 425 cu in "Super Wildcat" V8 with two four-barrel carburettors and a stiffened suspension.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Buick Riviera Gran Sport (1965) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Buick Riviera Gran Sport (1965) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Lóránt Szabó · CC BY-SA 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory package production1965 Riviera Gran Sports (believed) | 3,3541 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Buick introduced the Gran Sport option on the Riviera for 1965, with the hidden headlamps of the original design, the earlier non-functional scoops removed and the taillights moved into the bumper. Tilt steering became standard. Auction houses give the production as 3,354 (Mecum) or about 3,500 (Bonhams).
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Riviera Gran Sport (1965).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | V8, OHV2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 6,960 cc / 7.0 LFactory: 425 cu in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Dual Carter AFB 4-barrel carburettors2 Independently researched |
| Power | 268 kW / 365 PSFactory: 360 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource says BHP. |
| Power at | 4,400 rpm2 Independently researched |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 3-speed Super Turbine automatic (Gran Sport Dynaflow)2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Independent, coil springs2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | 4-wheel power-assisted hydraulic drum brakes2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,970 mmFactory: 117 in · converted3 Independently researchedStated for the first-generation Riviera in general. |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Gran Sport engines carry an "LX" engine code in the engine number (for example LX307 matching the VIN suffix on the Bonhams car), dual Carter AFB four-barrel carburettors and 360 bhp at 4,400 rpm. A Riviera Gran Sport registry exists to confirm matching-number cars.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport – RM Sotheby's Monterey 2021, lot 119 Level B
- 3354 1965 Riviera Gran Sports (believed)
-
2
Riviera Gran Sport 1965 (Gooding lot 109) Level C Gooding & Company
- 425 CID OHV Super Wildcat V-8 Engine
- Dual Carter AFB 4-Barrel Carburetors
- 360 BHP at 4,400 RPM
- 3-Speed Super Turbine Automatic Transmission
- Independent Coil-Spring Front Suspension
- Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
- 4-Wheel Power-Assisted Hydraulic Drum Brakes
- 3
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